Dust quencher for water gas apparatus and the like



Nov. 13, 1934.

G. c, PFAFF DUST QUENCHER FOR WATER GAS APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jhwntoz a b/ duoamu;

NOV. 13, 1934. G c PFAFF 1,980,499

DUST QUENCHER FOR WATER GAS APPARATUS AND THE LIKE 'Filed Feb. 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuantor NOV. 13, 1934. G. c PFAFF 1,980,499

DUST QUENCHER FOR WATER GAS APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 13, 1934. G. c. PFAFF 1,980,499

DUST QUEJNCHER FOR WATER GAS APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES DUST QUENGHER FOR WATER GAS APPARATUS AND THE LIKE George C. Pfaff, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Bartlett Hayward Company, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application February 25, 1931, Serial No. 518,180

2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to improvements in quenching dust from gas-dust collectors for gas producing apparatus and more particularly to improvements in quenching dust from I the usual dust collectors employed in the line of communication between the generator and carburetor, or other heat regenerative chamber, of water gas and carbureted water gas apparatus. In such apparatus, due to the heat and other causes obtaining in the apparatus because of features inherent in the processes practiced in such apparatus and peculiar to water gas manufacture, the dust when discharged is so very hot and sometimes even incandescent as to require quenching. The provision'of a remote quenching system for quenching such dust is unsatisfactory since'this necessitates the provision of bricklined cars for conveying the dust While hot to the quenching chamber and the hot dust scatters around the apparatus during discharge from the dust collector into the car and during conveyance to the quenching system. To eliminate this it has been proposed to quench the dust as it falls from the dust collector into the car but the meth od is accompanied bythe same disadvantages,

since the dust still scatters during its fall into the cars, the fire-brick lining is still required and the dust when wetted tends to form into spheres of inner incandescent and outer quenched dust which tend to repel each other, and refuse to be further wetted, tending to float on the surface of the accumulating spent quenching liquid.

Objects of the present invention are the provision of a quenching device for quenching dust from such gas-dust collectors that will effectively eliminate scattering of the dust into the atmosphere during discharge from the dust collector and which will discharge the dust as relatively cool quenched dust, thereby eliminating the need for linings of fire-brick on the dust cars and conveyance of dust while hot to remote quenching systems; the provision of a quenching chamber having the above advantages which may be readily attached to existing dust collectors in use without material alteration thereof; the provision of means for mixing or agitating the dust during quenching and thereby overcoming the difiiculty in thoroughly quenching thedust due to its inherent tendency to form, when wetted, self-repellent spheres that refuse to be further wetted; the provision of a quenching apparatus of the above noted type adapted'for periodic communication with the dust collector for periodically receiving, quenching and discharging the dust therefrom thoroughly quenched, thereby permitting substantially continuous operation of the dust collector without substantial loss of gas through the quenching apparatus as might obtain with continuous discharging of quenched dust from the quenching chamber; the provision of means for condensing and washing down vapors that may rise within the quenching chamber due to the quenching operation therein and thereby preventing such vapors from passing into the dust collector and corroding the same or wetting dust so as to clog therein; and the invention has for further objects such other advantages in construction and operation as may be found to obtain in the structure hereinafter described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsforminga part of this specification, and showing, for purposes of exemplification, a preferred form and manner in which the invention maybe embodied and practiced, but Without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrative instances:

Figure 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, of a water gas apparatus or set embodying the invention; v

Fig. 2 is-an enlarged elevational view of a portion of Fig. 1 illustrating more clearly the dust quenching chamber in'its relationship to the dust collector and dust-car;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional View of the quenching chamber taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 6, and showing in detail the quenching liquid supply piping and nozzles, condensing liquid supply piping and nozzles, andthe gastight closure between the quenching chamber and the dust collector; I

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the quenchingliquid supply manifolds and nozzles therefor, illustrating the flow of quenching liquid therefrom into the quenching chamber;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the condensing-liquid supply piping and nozzles therefor, illustrating the flow of liquid into the quenching chamber for condensing vapors that may rise therein from the quenching operation;

Fig. 6 is a plan View illustrating the gas-tight closure-door for the bottom of the dust collector and the door operating and locking mechanism therefor.

In its present embodiment the invention is incorporated in a carbureted water gas set'of usual and well-known construction, and for convenience the following description of the present invention'will be confined to this use of the invention. Features of the hereinafter describedinvention are; however, susceptible of other valuable application, such as, for instance, in combination with other'types of gas producing apparatus, for instance, in blue water gas apparatus, and consequently the invention is not limited in its application to the specific use and specific embodiments herein described as an illustrative example. I

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a water gas set of usual and well-known construction in the art. As shown, said set comprises a generator 11, and heat regenerator chambers comprising a carburetor 12, and a superheater 13. Air for air-blasting the generator 11 to heat it up and for secondary combustion. of the air blast gas in the carburetor. 1-2; and su perheater 13 is supplied by a blower 14 and. piping 15 having connections with the generator, carburetor and superheater; As shown, the-carburetor 12 is connected at its top with: the top or the generator 11 by gas line 16, and is connected at. its bottomwith the bottom of. the. su--- perheaterIS' by 'gas flow connection. 17.. The superheater 13 is, as shown, provided with: three gas outlets, at: its: top, a purge gas. outlet 17, a

carburet'ed water gasoutlet 18' and an air blast:

gas outlet 19.. Then-purge gas outlet. 1'7- is: pro-- Med with a purge valve. 20: for controlling the outlet; of purge gas to the superhe'ater purge stack- Zl. purge valve: is'n'orinally closed except during purging of. the set. in the. water I fromthe super-heater through a. superheater'stack 2 1, areled through the third outlet l9.'to a waste heatbo-ilerl for usetherein. from. whence the.

3 2'7 advantageouslylead toa common valvehousing'2 8 con-trolled by a three-way backrun valveof" any usual and well-known. construction disposed advantageously outsi de'tl'ile wash box and connected thereto by the single connection-con duit 29.

The generator is charged with fuel from a coke bin 31 by a weighing hopper- 32, the supply of libel to the bin 31 being maintained by tripper 33. It will of course be understood that the set is'provid'edi with the usual provisions for supplying oil to the carburetor and steam. to the=bottomof the generator fOru-prun water gas and steam to the superheater and/or top of the generator for the production of usual and well-known backrun or by-pass water gas as well as-va-lve control mechanism for automatically controlling the operation of the usual essent-ial valves insequence by an aut'o-mati'c control, illustrated diagrammatically at 34, of any usualand well-known constructionin the art,

I such as, for instance, the Critchlow type. Detail illustrations of such provisions are omitted for convenience, since they form noespecial part of the present invention and are well known in the art.

Arranged in the line of communication 16 between the carburetor 12 and generator 11 is a gas-dust collector or pocket 35 for collecting dust from the air blast gases and uprun watergas passing from the generator to the carburetor or such gas as backrun gas that may pass from the carburetor into the top of the generator. This dust has been found, when periodically discharged from the dust collector 35 to be very hot and even incandescent and consequently requires quenching. To this end there is provided a quenching chamber 36 connected'to the bottomoutlet 37' of the dust collector, and provided with quenching-liquid supply means 38 for supplying liquid, such as water, into the quenching chamber so asv to quench the dust before it passes into the: atmosphere. Such means has proved to be particularly effective and advantageous since it not only effects quenching but prevents scattering of fine dust when discharged through the atmosphere due to its being previously wetted. As the dust needs to. be discharged from the dust collector only? periodically, for instance, once. a: day, therev provided a gas-tight closure for closing the outlet 37 comprising a door 39 and operating mechanism therefor consisting of an arm; 41 connected at. 42 tothe door 39 andto a shaft 43 pivotally mounted in brackets 44. for pivotal. movement of the door intcr. and. out of gas-tight relation with the gas-dust outlet; 3'7.

Advantageously the. shaft. is provided witlr an 0111-: era-ting lever45 movable. upwardly for opening the door 39 and downwardly forsclosing the same. A. locking mechanism 46. is provided for lockingthe lever 45 against movement. whemthe door 39: is inv closed position. and a. counterweight 4.1 and lever 48. therefor connected, as shown, tothe lever 45 so as to remain. above and off. the. center of the shaft 43 when the dooris closed. to insure against accidental opening of the door under sudden. or increased. pressure. on the. door 39 in the dust" collector 35. Advantageously, the quenching chamber is made.- as a. separate unit from the dust collector but so as to be connectible by connections 36' to dust collectors: already inactual service, thereby enabling the. quenching chamber to be assembled: as a unit and readily attachedto dust collectors already in opera-- tion in gas apparatus without materialimodification and alteration therefor preventing prolonged shut-downsof the gas making apparatus for pur- .1

pose of providing the dust-quenching: system thereon. As has been mentioned above, it has been found that when wetted the dust tends. to form in independent spheres which tend to repel CJI each other and are water repellent, refusing to.

further mix or break up under showers of wa ter and to be further wetted. In falling by gravity from the dust collector the dust therefore is not'thoroughly quenched due to the shortness of the path of travel available for an attached quenching chamber by reason of the limitations of space inherent in dust collectors occasioned. by their peculiar locations required of gas apparatus. It has been found, however; that this difficulty isamply overcome by the simple expedi'ent of providing mechanical means for agitating or violently mixing the dust spheres with each other and the quenching mediumwhile passing through the quenching chamber, such means being ample to thoroughly break up the spheres of dust so that a relatively small quenching chamber, satisfying the. requirements as to limitations of space, is ample to assure discharge of thoroughly quenched dust which does not scatter when passing" from the bottom outlet49 of the quenching chamber through the atmosphere to the usual dust-car 51. In providing such mixing or agitating means it has been found that the provision of a plurality of superposed,

oppositely inclined, downwardly directed, dust baffles 52, 53, is especially suitable for effecting the breaking up of the wetted spheres of dust, since in falling by gravity from one bafiie 52 to another bafile 53 the dust is thereby broken up and thoroughly quenched during its gravity fall. Preferably, the baffles consist, as shown, of a plurality of annular, downwardly and inwardly inclined, dust-baflle pans 52 arranged one above the other and provided with concentric dust discharge openings 54 arranged concentrically with each other and with the dust outlet 37 and supplementary inverted baflie cones 53 disposed intermediately of the dust bafile-pans and over the concentric openings 54. The

- quenching-liquid supply means 38 is provided with a plurality of manifolds 55, each having a series of nozzles 56, arranged so that there is one manifold 55 and one series of nozzles 56 for each pan 52. The nozzles 56 are arranged so as to discharge downwardly directly into the pans 52 and have their outlet ports shaped to eject the liquid in coarse streams so as to thereby wash down from the surfaces of the pans 52 any dust that may tend to stick thereon as well as to quench the dust. During the quenching of the dust water vapor or steam is formed which tends to rise and pass upwardly through the outlet port 37 into the dust collector 35. This vapor tends to wet the interior metallic surfaces of the dust collector, causing corrosion thereof and also causing dust to adhere thereto which may cause stoppage of dust in the outlet port 37 and incomplete seating of the door 39.

To overcome this, there is provided the supplementary liquid supply means 57 for delivering condensing liquid between the uppermost dustbafiles 52, 53 and quenching liquid supply means 38 and the dust collector 35. This supply means preferably consists of a manifold 58 having a series of nozzles 59 arranged annularly within the quenching chamber and having ports shaped to discharge a condensing liquid in the form of a fine spray into the path of water vapor or steam that may pass to the dust collector outlet 3'? during passage of dust through said outlet and quenching of the dust. The provision of such means has been found in practicing the present invention to be effective in condensing and washing down substantially all quenching vapor or steam that may rise to the outlet 37 and prevent passage of such vapor and steam into the dust collector while the door 39 is in its open position, thereby permitting the quenching to take place simultaneously with discharge of dust from the dust collector and during its gravity fall through the quenching chamber, rendering unnecessary collecting and holding of the dust in the quenching chamber for subsequent quenching of the dust after the door 39 is closed.

As shown, the baffle cones 53 are supported on bars 61 carried by the baffle pans 52 and all of the baffle pans 52 are secured to outer vertical supports 62 which are bolted to and carried by clips 63 secured to the vertical wall 64 of the quenching chamber so as to suspend the bafiies in annularly spaced relation to the wall 64. This construction is particularly advantageous in that it permits of great facility in securing the baffles 52 and 53 together as a unit outside the quenching chamber and removal from and insertion and securing of the unit in place, within the quenching chamber with greater ease and economy.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that substantially all scattering of fine hot or incandescent dust is entirely eliminated during discharge thereof from the water gas set dust collector and the need for fire-brick linings for the dust car entirely eliminated. It will also be ap parent that the invention obviously may have utility with dust collectors in which the connections are such that the dust is not hot or incandescent for in effecting wetting of the dust before it discharges into the atmosphere the wetting of the dust prevents its scattering.

The invention as hereinabove set forth is embodied in particular forms of construction but may be variously embodied within the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

1. The combination with a carbureted water gas apparatus comprising a generator, a carburetor communicably connected with the generator for gas flow therethrough, and a dust collector in the line of communication between the generator and carburetor, of a dust quenching chamber connected with the dust collector for com munication therewith and adapted for receiving dust therefrom and for quenching and discharging the dust as quenched dust while closed off from the dust collector and during simultaneous collection of dust thereby, a plurality of superposed, oppositely inclined, downwardly directed, stationary dust baffles arranged in said quenching chamber for bafiling dust during passage thereof through the quenching chamber, and means for supplying dust-quenching liquid to said quenching chamber for mixture with dust on said baffles.

2. The combination with a dust collector for collecting dust from gas and having a gas inlet and outlet for gas from gas producing apparatus of a dust quenching chamber connected thereto ber, means for supplying dust-quenching liquid 3 M to said quenching chamber for mixture with dust on said baffies, and supplementary liquid supplymeans for supplying condensing'liquid into said quenching chamber between the dust collector and the uppermost of the bailles for condensing and washing down in the quenching chamber vapors rising therein towards the dust collector.

GEORGE C. PFAFF. 

